198 Fun Facts About Dragon Ball

Which voice actress has played Goku in every Japanese Dragon Ball anime since 1986, picked by Toriyama from her audition tape?

Masako Nozawa also voices Goku's sons Gohan and Goten, and Toriyama said that once he had heard her, Goku always spoke in her voice in his mind as he wrote the manga.

After a wish is granted, the seven Dragon Balls scatter and turn into what for a year?

Stone: for a year the spent balls are useless lumps of rock, and if their creator dies they stay that way.

Master Roshi's Kamehameha wave borrows its name from a line of kings who ruled which islands?

Hawaii: Toriyama could not settle on a name for the attack until his wife suggested Kamehameha, after the Hawaiian kings.

Under what Saiyan birth name was Goku sent to Earth as an infant?

Kakarot is Goku's Saiyan birth name, a pun on carrot; like all Saiyan names it is a vegetable, with his brother Raditz a radish.

What was the homeworld of most of Universe 7's Saiyans called before Frieza destroyed it?

Planet Vegeta was not theirs to begin with: the Saiyans took it from the Tuffles in a ten-year war and renamed it after their victorious king.

What does teenage Bulma plan to wish for when she first sets out to collect the Dragon Balls?

A perfect boyfriend: she never gets to make the wish, but by the end of the hunt she is dating Yamcha, whom she met along the way.

What is the human name of Android 18, revealed by Akira Toriyama?

Lazuli: Toriyama revealed the name in 2014, with her twin as Lapis; despite the 'Android' label, both were ordinary humans rebuilt against their will.

What is Beerus' official title in Universe 7?

God of Destruction is Beerus's job: he keeps the universe in balance by destroying planets, the counterpart to the Supreme Kais who create.

Bulma and her family's names are all puns on what?

Undergarments: Bulma is the Japanese word for bloomers, the gym shorts schoolgirls wore, and her son Trunks carries on the family joke.

The Ginyu Force serve a boss whose name puns on which kitchen appliance?

Freezer is the pun behind Frieza, so his Ginyu Force are things kept in a fridge: milk (gyūnyū, for Ginyu), cream, butter, cheese and yoghurt.

Which genie-like attendant of Earth's guardian easily gets the better of Goku when the two first meet?

Mr. Popo has tended the Lookout for centuries and outlasts his masters: when a new guardian takes over, he simply stays on and serves him too.

Who foils Emperor Pilaf's bid to rule the world by shouting out a wish of his own first?

Oolong leaps in as Pilaf is about to speak and asks Shenron for a pair of panties, the first wish the series ever shows being granted.

What kind of animal is Beerus primarily modelled after?

Cat: Beerus is modelled on Toriyama's own Cornish Rex, which shook off a serious illness so unexpectedly that the vet joked it must be a demon.

Akira Toriyama drew the cast of which 1995 Super Nintendo role-playing game, made by a so-called Dream Team?

Chrono Trigger earned the Dream Team tag by pairing Toriyama with the rival creators of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, Yuji Horii and Hironobu Sakaguchi.

Which of Korin's gifts instantly heals a wounded fighter?

Senzu beans mend broken bones in seconds and keep a person full for ten days, but Korin can grow so few at a time that the supply keeps running out.

Which attack does Goku form by raising his hands and borrowing energy from every living thing around him?

Spirit Bomb: it fails to finish off either Vegeta or Frieza, but one fed by the people of Earth finally destroys Kid Buu.

The island that hosts Dragon Ball's martial arts tournament was modelled on which real place Toriyama visited in 1985?

Bali gave the island its look, but the tournament only exists because Toriyama's editor nagged him about the manga's weak popularity until he added more fights.

With which attack does Piccolo kill Goku and his brother Raditz in a single shot?

Special Beam Cannon: Goku pinned Raditz from behind so the drilling beam could not miss, and it tore straight through them both.

Which scientist founded the Capsule Corporation and invented its shrinking capsules?

Dr. Brief's Hoi-Poi Capsules shrink houses and vehicles to pocket size, and they made him one of the richest men on Earth.

Which energy blast technique is often associated with Gohan, especially during his younger years?

Masenko ('Demon Flash') is the blast Gohan's first mentor taught him; he fires it in a rage at Nappa after that mentor dies shielding him.

Which energy wave does Vegeta fire from the sky to try to destroy the Earth in his first fight with Goku?

Galick Gun: Goku meets it head-on with a Kamehameha, and the beams stay deadlocked until he pushes his power boost from three times to four.

Which planet exploded at the end of Goku's fight with Frieza?

Planet Namek exploded after Frieza, losing to Super Saiyan Goku, fired a blast into its core; both fighters survive it, Frieza drifting in space until he is found and rebuilt.

Which two Androids did Cell need to absorb to achieve his Perfect form?

Android 17 and 18: Cell got the second of them only because Vegeta, wanting a stronger opponent, stood aside and let him absorb her.

Who trains Goku at the end of Snake Way, teaching him a technique that multiplies his power?

King Kai would not teach Goku a thing until he had made him laugh with a joke and then caught his pet monkey, Bubbles.

Which little green creatures, grown from seeds planted in the ground, kill Yamcha by self-destructing?

Saibamen: Nappa plants six of them to test Earth's fighters, and one clings to Yamcha and blows itself up just after he seemed to have beaten it.

Which warrior from Universe 6 fights by skipping a fraction of a second of time?

Hit skips a tenth of a second at a time, just long enough to land the single strike with which he finishes his targets.

Which form did Goku first reach against Jiren in the Tournament of Power?

Ultra Instinct lets the body dodge and strike without thought, a state so hard to reach that even Beerus has never mastered it.

Which character in Dragon Ball Super serves as Beerus's attendant and martial arts teacher?

Whis is Beerus's attendant and martial arts teacher, an Angel stronger than the master he serves; his sister Vados plays the same role for Champa in Universe 6.

The Supreme Kais wear which pieces of jewellery that can fuse two wearers into a single being?

Earrings: each partner wears one Potara on opposite ears and they merge on the spot, for good if a Supreme Kai is involved but for only an hour otherwise.

Which of Goku's transformations covers him in red fur with long black hair?

Super Saiyan 4 debuted in Dragon Ball GT; it springs from a Saiyan's giant-ape Ōzaru state, which is why its designer covered Goku in red fur.

Piccolo can regrow a lost limb provided which part of him survives?

His head must stay intact: when Cell withers one of Piccolo's arms by draining it, Piccolo feigns surrender to get him talking, then simply grows a new one.

Which early Dragon Ball character switches between a sweet personality and a violent one whenever she sneezes?

Launch's polite, blue-haired half keeps house for the heroes, while a single sneeze brings out a blonde robber who sprays them with machine-gun fire.

What power source do Androids 17 and 18 run on?

Perpetual energy reactors mean the twins never tire, unlike Androids 19 and 20, who must keep draining energy from their victims.

Which character from Universe 6 is a female Saiyan known for her berserker-like Super Saiyan form?

Kale is so timid that she hides behind her friend Caulifla, until rage turns her into a hulking berserker modelled on Broly.

Toriyama's seven Dragon Balls were inspired by which Japanese epic, whose heroes gather prayer beads?

Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, Kyokutei Bakin's 19th-century epic of eight dog warriors and their eight beads, gave Toriyama the idea; he cut the count to seven.

What device, invented by teenage Bulma, detects the faint energy signal the wish-granting orbs give off?

The Dragon Radar picks up the faint signal the Dragon Balls give off, and it leads Bulma straight to the one Goku keeps in memory of his grandfather.

Which wizard frees Majin Buu from his sealed ball on Earth, only to be killed by him?

Babidi keeps Buu in line by threatening to seal him away again, until Buu tires of taking orders and shatters his master's skull with one punch.

How did Goku's adoptive grandfather, Gohan, die?

Killed by a giant ape, and the ape was Goku: the boy transformed one night under a full moon, and for years had no idea what he had done.

Who cut off Vegeta's tail while he rampaged as a Great Ape on Earth?

Yajirobe, the gluttonous swordsman who lodges at Korin Tower, sneaked up on the Great Ape Vegeta and severed his tail, shrinking him back to normal size.

What does Master Roshi give Goku for rescuing his pet?

The Flying Nimbus carries Goku everywhere for years, until his training with Earth's guardian teaches him to fly under his own power.

Which fusion of Goku and Vegeta fights Super Buu?

Vegito toys with Super Buu, keeps fighting even after being turned into a piece of candy, and then lets himself be absorbed on purpose.

Cell's killing of which android tipped Gohan into Super Saiyan 2 at the Cell Games?

Android 16, built to kill Goku, is reduced to a severed head that urges Gohan to let his anger go; Cell crushes it, and Gohan snaps.

Which technique did Goku learn on Planet Yardrat?

Instant Transmission let Goku whisk a self-destructing Cell off the planet, saving Earth at the cost of his own life.

Which entity is the creator of the Dragon Balls on Earth?

Kami's life is tied to Piccolo's, so whenever either of them dies the Dragon Balls he created go dead as well.

Mr. Satan, known as Hercule in some dubs, is adored by the public as the holder of which title?

World Martial Arts Champion is Mr. Satan's title, won once Goku and friends stopped entering; the public even credits him with beating Cell.

In Dragon Ball Super, which character is Goku Black revealed to truly be?

Goku Black is revealed to be Zamasu, a Kai from an alternate timeline, who used the Super Dragon Balls to swap bodies with Goku.

What does a furious Vegeta do to his scouter after shouting 'It's over 9000!'?

Crushes it in his fist; the line itself belongs to the English dub, since in the Japanese original Vegeta reads Goku's power as over 8,000.

What did the Red Ribbon Army's leader secretly plan to wish for with the Dragon Balls?

To be taller: when his second-in-command learned the army's whole bloody hunt was for a few extra inches, he killed his leader and took over.

In the manga's final chapter, Goku leaves a tournament to train which young fighter?

Uub exists because Goku, after destroying Kid Buu, wished for him to be reborn as a good person; ten years on he picks the boy as his successor.

Which Jackie Chan film has Toriyama named as a key inspiration for Dragon Ball?

Drunken Master and Jackie Chan's other films so absorbed Toriyama that his editor told him to draw a kung fu manga: first the one-shot Dragon Boy, then Dragon Ball.

Which dragon is summoned by the Namekian Dragon Balls and grants three wishes?

Porunga only hears wishes spoken in the Namekian language, so the heroes from Earth need a Namekian child to translate for them.

After a botched body swap, Captain Ginyu ends up trapped in the body of which animal?

A frog: Goku throws a Namekian frog into the path of Ginyu's body-change beam, and the captain stays stuck in it for years before stealing a soldier's body.

What colour does Frieza turn in the new form he unveils in Resurrection 'F'?

Gold: Frieza reached the form after four months of the first training of his life, but rushed to Earth before mastering it and ran out of stamina.

Buu, Bibidi and Babidi take their names from a song in which Disney film?

Cinderella: 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo' is the spell the Fairy Godmother sings over the pumpkin, a fitting origin for two wizards and the creature they command.

Which ruler is cut down on Earth by Future Trunks moments after his own son?

King Cold had his shattered son rebuilt as a cyborg and brought him to Earth for revenge on Goku, only for a stranger from the future to cut them both down.

What are the six marks on the forehead of Krillin, who trained as a temple monk from childhood?

Moxibustion burns are the incense scars that Shaolin monks carry; Krillin began as a boy monk, and he is bald only because he shaves.

What is the name of Krillin and Android 18's daughter?

Marron is Krillin and Android 18's daughter; her name is the French word for chestnut, matching Krillin's own pun on kuri (chestnut).

Which set of Dragon Balls turns Goku back into a child as Dragon Ball GT begins?

Black Star Dragon Balls scatter across space after a wish, and the planet they were used on explodes within a year unless all seven are brought back.

Who drew the Dragon Ball Super manga from Toriyama's plot outlines?

Toyotarou drew Dragon Ball as a hobby from childhood, sure an official job was impossible, until he took his artwork to the publisher in 2012.

Which 2013 film ended a 17-year absence of new Dragon Ball movies from cinemas?

Battle of Gods was also the first film Toriyama shaped himself: he got deeply involved in its story so that it would stay light enough for children.

Tien Shinhan is introduced as the star pupil of which rival of Master Roshi?

The Crane Hermit raised Tien as an assassin, but during the tournament final Tien turned against his master's dirty tricks, won fairly and walked out on him.

Which young Namekian healer becomes Earth's new guardian, bringing the Dragon Balls back with him?

Dende remakes the Dragon Balls after the old guardian merges with Piccolo, and his version of the dragon grants more than one wish at a time.

Broly's father is named after which vegetable, in keeping with Saiyan naming tradition?

Paragus, Broly's father, is a pun on asparagus, as Broly himself is on broccoli; both debuted in the 1993 film Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan.

Which martial arts film gave Dragon Ball the 'Dragon' in its title?

Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee's 1973 classic, spawned so many imitations with 'Dragon' in the title that the word itself said kung fu, and Toriyama borrowed it.

Oolong, Dragon Ball's shape-shifting pig, was loosely modelled on which Journey to the West character?

Zhu Bajie, the pig known in English as Pigsy, enters the novel by carrying off a village elder's daughter; Oolong is introduced doing much the same.

Which part of Goku's backstory did Toriyama only think up years into the manga?

Alien birth: Toriyama said that when he drew the boy's tail he had no idea Goku was from another planet, and made him a Saiyan only once fighters from space arrived.

Which gentle android does Goku befriend inside the Red Ribbon Army's Muscle Tower?

Android 8 refuses his orders to kill Goku, who nicknames him Eighter; when a general shoots the boy, the android punches him clean out of the tower.

Toriyama said Frieza was inspired by which 'worst kind of people' during Japan's bubble era?

Real estate speculators, whom Toriyama called the worst kind of people during Japan's bubble economy, were Frieza's model: he seizes planets by force and sells them on.

Why does Goku's Super Saiyan form have blonde hair?

Blonde was easier for the assistant to draw: Toriyama said inking Goku's black hair took too long, so the Super Saiyan went blonde; the piercing eyes came from Bruce Lee's glare.

Which career does Gohan take up as an adult instead of fighting?

Scholar: Toriyama meant Gohan to take over as the hero once he had killed Cell, then decided the studious boy did not suit the part and went back to Goku.

Which technique cost Master Mutaito his life when he used it to defeat King Piccolo?

Evil Containment Wave (Mafūba) trapped the demon king inside an electric rice cooker; tried years later on his son, it is reversed and bottles the user instead.

Which villain kills the Red Ribbon Army's General Blue using only his tongue?

Mercenary Tao seems to kill Goku too, but the boy climbs Korin Tower, returns far stronger, and Tao is caught in the blast of his own grenade.

Toriyama teamed up with which fellow mangaka for the crossover chapter Cross Epoch?

Eiichiro Oda, One Piece's creator, names Dragon Ball as his biggest influence; their crossover recasts Vegeta as the captain of a pirate crew.

Which legendary blade is Gohan given to train with on the Supreme Kais' world, only for it to break?

Z Sword: it snaps while Gohan trains with it, and out steps an ancient Supreme Kai whom Beerus had sealed inside the blade long ago.

Toriyama's 2013 manga Jaco the Galactic Patrolman revealed itself to be set when?

Before the main series: Jaco is sent to stop an evil alien landing on Earth, misses the ship's arrival, and the 'alien' turns out to be the baby Goku.

Which US retailer pulled Viz's Dragon Ball manga from stores in 1999 after a parent's complaint?

Toys "R" Us cleared Viz's Dragon Ball from every store in 1999 after a Dallas father found nudity in comics bought for his four-year-old, and Viz began censoring the volumes that followed.

Master Roshi's first Kamehameha in Dragon Ball puts out a fire but also destroys what?

The mountain goes with the flames, castle and all; told that the move took fifty years to learn, Goku then copies it on his first try.

Which fighter blows himself up on Nappa's back in a failed bid to save Tien?

Chiaotzu clings to Nappa's back and self-destructs, yet Nappa survives the blast, and Tien then burns up the last of his own life in one final attack.

Which villain from Dragon Ball Z's first film returns in a TV-only arc?

Garlic Jr. wished himself immortal in the film, so the heroes can never kill him; the best they can do is trap him for ever in a void of his own making.

What did Funimation call the 1990 TV special about the low-class Saiyan warrior Bardock?

The Father of Goku was Funimation's subtitle for the 1990 special. Bardock was invented for the anime; Toriyama later called it his favourite of the films and specials, and retold the story himself in a 2014 manga chapter.

What do the letters GT stand for in Dragon Ball GT?

Grand Touring is what Toriyama said GT stood for: he borrowed the letters from car lingo but meant a great journey, since the heroes would be running around the universe.

Which 2009 series recut Dragon Ball Z without most of its filler?

Dragon Ball Kai was made for the anime's 20th anniversary: the old footage was remastered, most scenes that were never in the manga were cut, and the cast re-recorded their lines.

Which fighter is last standing when Universe 7 wins the Tournament of Power?

Android 17 is the only fighter left after Goku and Frieza take Jiren out of the ring with them, and he spends the winner's wish on bringing back every erased universe.

At Bulma's birthday party, Beerus first loses his temper when a guest refuses to share which dessert?

Pudding: the guest will not hand over a single cup, so Beerus attacks him and decides to destroy the Earth, flattening every fighter at the party who tries to stop him.

Dragon Ball Daima is set after which Dragon Ball Z story arc?

The Majin Buu arc is over when Daima begins: a new king of the Demon Realm, alarmed by the fighters who beat Buu, has them shrunk into children so they can never threaten his reign.

In Dragon Ball Daima, who turns Goku and his friends into younger versions of themselves?

Gomah, the Demon Realm's new Supreme King, cannot easily use his own realm's Dragon Balls because they are guarded, so he travels to Earth and makes the wish on the ones there.

Which 2019 fighting game teamed Goku with Luffy and Naruto for Shōnen Jump's 50th anniversary?

Jump Force marked the magazine's 50th anniversary by having its manga worlds collide with the real one; Toriyama designed the original characters created for the game.

Reruns on which US channel revived the cancelled Dragon Ball Z dub in 1998?

Cartoon Network began rerunning the cancelled dub on its Toonami block in 1998, and it found such a steady audience there that new episodes were ordered and dubbing resumed.

Whose unborn child supplies the sixth Saiyan needed for Goku's Super Saiyan God ritual?

Videl is secretly pregnant with Gohan's daughter, and the ritual needs six pure-hearted Saiyans; with only five at the party, her unborn baby makes up the number.

Which 1996 film retold Goku's first adventures for the anime's tenth anniversary?

Dragon Ball: The Path to Power squeezes Goku's meeting with Bulma and the Red Ribbon Army story into one film; this time Goku saves the tower's android from being blown up by its own commander.

Which studio bought the live-action film rights to Dragon Ball in 2002?

20th Century Fox bought the rights from the manga's publisher and meant Dragonball Evolution (2009) to open a series, but the film did so badly that every sequel was dropped.

Who directed Dragonball Evolution?

James Wong, the director of Final Destination, made the film from a script by Ben Ramsey, who apologised to fans in 2016, admitting he had taken the job 'chasing after a big payday' rather than as a fan.

Who played Goku in Dragonball Evolution?

Justin Chatwin played Goku as a high-school senior rather than a boy living alone in the wild; James Marsters was the film's villain and Joon Park played Yamcha.

Which Hong Kong film star played Master Roshi in Dragonball Evolution?

Chow Yun-fat, star of The Killer and Hard Boiled, played Master Roshi, but even his name could not save the film, which bombed at the box office.

Under which anime distributor's name did Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero reach US cinemas in 2022?

Crunchyroll: Sony, its new owner, had folded Funimation into it that year, so Super Hero was the first Dragon Ball film under the new name, and it opened at number one in the US.

'Dragon Ball Z: The Real 4D' debuted in 2016 at which theme park?

Universal Studios Japan ran the attraction through summer 2016 beside One Piece and Death Note shows; it screened a new CG battle between Goku and Frieza, animated for the park.

Which 1997 PlayStation fighter was the first game sold in North America under the Dragon Ball name?

Final Bout was the first game released in North America as a Dragon Ball title; an earlier NES game had been sold there as Dragon Power, with its graphics altered and the name removed.

Which studio developed the 2018 fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ?

Arc System Works built the game around teams of three because, its producer said, it would feel odd to see Goku beaten by Krillin one on one; in a team, the weaker fighter still helps win.

Emperor Pilaf's gang use the Dragon Balls to wish for youth and are turned into what?

Small children: the wish works far too well, and the pint-sized trio's later attempt to steal the Dragon Balls from Bulma's birthday party comes to nothing.

Which developer made the action RPG Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (2020)?

CyberConnect2 built the game around life between the big fights, which its producer called the real draw: the player goes fishing, plays baseball and cooks meals that raise the heroes' stats.

What is the main hub area in the first Dragon Ball Xenoverse game?

Toki-Toki City, base of the Time Patrol, is named after Tokitoki, the bird kept by the Supreme Kai of Time; the sequel replaces it with Conton City.

Under what title is the Budokai Tenkaichi game series known in Japan?

Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! takes its name from the last word of the chorus of 'Cha-La Head-Cha-La', the anime's first opening theme; the 2024 sequel kept it worldwide as Sparking! Zero.

Which fast-food chain gave away Dragon Ball Z toys with its kids' meals across North America in 2000?

Burger King's kids' meals carried Dragon Ball Z toys in 2000, only two years after the English dub had been cancelled part-way through the story.

Who composed the music for the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime and their films?

Shunsuke Kikuchi scored Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. When the newer music Kenji Yamamoto wrote for a 2009 recut was pulled in 2011 over claims that it copied other artists' work, Kikuchi's old score was put back.

Who performed 'Cha-La Head-Cha-La', the first Dragon Ball Z opening theme?

Hironobu Kageyama sang so many of the anime's songs that fans nicknamed him 'Mr. DBZ', and he later recorded an English version of this one himself.

Which actor has been the English voice of adult Goku since Funimation's 1999 in-house dub?

Sean Schemmel trained as a classical French horn player and never planned to act; a friend talked him into auditioning, and he has voiced Goku ever since.

Which English voice actor plays Vegeta, Yamcha and Shenron?

Christopher Sabat voices Vegeta, Yamcha and Shenron, and Piccolo as well, so whenever Vegeta and Piccolo trade words in the dub, one actor is arguing with himself.

What did Toriyama create before Dragon Ball that won the Shogakukan Manga Award?

Dr. Slump, a gag manga about a robot girl and her inventor, launched Toriyama's career; when it ended in 1984 he began Dragon Ball in the same magazine within months.

Of what did Akira Toriyama die on March 1, 2024?

An acute subdural hematoma, bleeding between the skull and the brain, killed Toriyama at 68; the news was held back for a week, until after a private family funeral.

What is the title of the first Dragon Ball manga chapter?

'Bulma and Son Goku' has a city girl hunting the Dragon Balls stumble on a boy who lives alone in the wild and keeps one of them as a memento of his grandfather.

What did Vegeta first come to Earth intending to wish for with the Dragon Balls?

Immortality: on first hearing of the Dragon Balls, Vegeta tells Nappa they should wish for eternal life so that they can enjoy fighting for ever; the plan to overthrow Frieza comes later.

What does the dying King Piccolo spit out to carry on his revenge against Goku?

An egg: Namekians reproduce by spitting them out, and this one holds Piccolo Jr., the offspring and reincarnation meant to avenge him.

What does Bulma's older sister Tights grow up to write?

Science fiction: she becomes a writer after an adventure of her own, taking a job as a pop star's body double for a dangerous rocket stunt and spending her fee to help the stranded alien Jaco.

Who is Bulma's daughter with Vegeta?

Bulla is born during Dragon Ball Super. Vegeta wanted to call her Eschalot, lost the argument to Bulma, and dotes on the baby anyway.

Who is Master Roshi's older sister?

Fortuneteller Baba, an old witch who rides a floating crystal ball, will read anyone's future for a ruinous fee, or for nothing if their side can beat her team of fighters.

What does the shape-shifter Puar turn into to cut off the rampaging Goku's tail?

A pair of scissors: Yamcha remembers that the tail is Goku's weak point and tells Puar to change shape, and one snip turns Goku back to normal.

Which Red Ribbon Army scientist created Cell?

Dr. Gero, the army's chief scientist, designed Cell from the cells of the strongest fighters but left his supercomputer to finish building him.

Future Trunks first appears warning of which coming threat?

The Red Ribbon Androids have, in Trunks's own time, killed nearly every hero on Earth, so he comes back to warn the fighters while they can still prepare, then stays to fight beside them.

What does Kame Sennin, the Japanese name of Goku's first master, mean?

Turtle Sage: kame is turtle and sennin a hermit sage. He looks the part, wearing a turtle shell on his back, and has his pupils train with shells strapped to theirs.

Which older brother of Frieza fights Goku in two Dragon Ball Z films?

Cooler watched Frieza destroy the Saiyan homeworld and let one fleeing baby's pod go, calling it his brother's problem; the baby was Goku, who beats him in both films.

Which screenwriter created the original, non-canon Broly for the 1990s films?

Takao Koyama, who wrote the 1993 film, created Broly, with Toriyama supplying only the design; 25 years on, Toriyama rebuilt the character himself for Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

In Future Trunks's ruined timeline, what killed Goku before he could defend the Earth?

A heart virus kills him there, which is why Trunks hands Goku a medicine from the future, where the cure was found only after his death.

Under what costumed alias does Gohan fight crime in Satan City?

Great Saiyaman is Gohan's helmeted alter ego; his classmate Videl works out who is under the mask and blackmails him into teaching her to fly.

Which villain does Mr. Satan befriend and convince to give up killing?

Majin Buu promises Mr. Satan he will stop killing, but when gunmen shoot his puppy and then Mr. Satan himself, his rage splits off a far crueller Buu.

As a boy, Goku agrees to marry Chi-Chi because he thinks marriage is a kind of what?

Food: young Goku says yes without knowing what he is agreeing to, and years later a grown-up Chi-Chi tracks him down and holds him to the promise.

Who is Videl's flamboyant father?

Mr. Satan gave his family a devilish theme: his daughter's name, Videl, is an anagram of 'devil'.

Yamcha is first introduced as what, alongside his companion Pu'ar?

A desert bandit: Yamcha robs travellers with Pu'ar and fears nothing except talking to women, a fear he loses only once he starts going out with Bulma.

Which technique lets Tien Shinhan grow extra arms to fight with?

The Four Witches Technique grows Tien a second pair of arms from his back; in their tournament bout Goku answers by simply moving his own two faster than Tien's four.

What is the name of Goku's Saiyan mother?

Gine was too gentle for the battlefield, so she left the Saiyan army to work at a meat distribution centre; Toriyama added her to the story in 2014, long after the original manga had ended.

On which planet did Broly and his father become stranded?

Vampa is where King Vegeta exiled the infant Broly, fearing a power greater than his own son's; Broly's father followed in a stolen ship that was wrecked on landing, stranding them both.

After Frieza destroys the Earth in Resurrection 'F', how does Whis undo the disaster?

Rewinds time three minutes: that is as far back as Whis can go, just long enough for Goku to finish Frieza with a Kamehameha before the planet goes up.

Which superhero-obsessed young scientist builds the Gamma androids in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero?

Dr. Hedo is fresh out of prison when Magenta recruits him, and he builds the androids Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 for the new Red Ribbon Army.

With Goku and Vegeta away training, which duo leads Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero?

Piccolo and Gohan carry the film: Piccolo infiltrates the Red Ribbon Army in disguise and volunteers for its plan to kidnap Gohan's daughter Pan, telling her to play along.

Who was Magenta's late father in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero?

Commander Red's army was destroyed by the young Goku; decades later his son Magenta rebuilds it in secret behind a pharmaceutical company.

Which Dragon Ball Z film features the demon villain Janemba?

Fusion Reborn (1995) begins when a teenage ogre, lost in his music, lets the machine that cleans evil from souls explode; the spill turns him into Janemba.

Who commands the remnants of Frieza's army in Resurrection 'F'?

Sorbet, the diminutive commander left running Frieza's army, has the Pilaf Gang summon Shenron to revive Frieza, who comes back in pieces and must be regenerated.

Which Japanese game company published the mobile hits Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle and Dragon Ball Legends?

Bandai Namco Entertainment came by the series through a merger: Bandai had been making Dragon Ball games since the 1980s, and they came along when its games division merged with Namco's.

Which company published the Budokai Tenkaichi games in North America until 2008?

Atari sold the games as Budokai Tenkaichi, yet despite the name they are no sequels to the earlier Budokai fighters: a different studio made them as a separate series.

Which facial feature is Krillin always drawn without?

A nose: Krillin has never had one, and Toriyama once joked that he breathes through the pores of his skin instead.

Which childlike ruler of the multiverse can erase an entire universe in an instant?

Zeno, the Omni-King, is no fighter, but there were once eighteen universes rather than twelve: he erased the other six himself.

Which pair of low-ranking Frieza Force soldiers find Broly in exile and bring him to Frieza?

Cheelai and Lemo are out recruiting fighters when they find Broly and his father, and Frieza at once enlists the castaways against Goku and Vegeta.

What did Toriyama worry Goku's Super Saiyan expressions made him look like?

A bad guy is what Toriyama feared Super Saiyan Goku's glare made him look like; he decided it was acceptable because the transformation is triggered by anger.

Which pair travels with the child-sized Goku on Dragon Ball GT's hunt across the universe?

Pan and Trunks crew the ship with him, and the three have a single year to finish the hunt before the Earth explodes.

Which robot girl from an earlier Toriyama manga helps Goku defeat General Blue?

Arale and her Penguin Village neighbours turn up when Goku's chase after General Blue strays into their manga's setting, and it is she who beats Blue with ease.

Which little robot, who keeps repeating his own name, joins Goku's voyage in Dragon Ball GT?

Giru is a Machine Mutant the travellers pick up early in their voyage; later he seems to betray them on his home planet, but it is a ruse he had planned with one of the crew.

Emperor Pilaf's two henchmen are Mai and which dog in a ninja outfit?

Shu was called Soba when he first appeared; asked the dog's name by the anime staff, Toriyama had forgotten it and said Shu, and the new name stuck.

Which studio produced Dragon Ball Daima?

Toei Animation has made every Dragon Ball series since 1986; it planned Daima without Toriyama, until his odd bits of advice grew into the whole story and its character designs.

In Daima, what guards each of the Demon Realm's three Dragon Balls?

A Tamagami protects each ball: the three guardians were built to keep the Demon Realm's Dragon Balls out of evil hands, and each must be beaten in a fight before it gives its ball up.

Which Toriyama gag manga parodies Dragon Ball and features a Saiyan named Onio?

Neko Majin is Toriyama's own send-up of his hit: its cat-like hero watches the Saiyan Onio turn Super Saiyan, copies the trick on the spot and beats him with it.

Which giant ruler, an old pupil of Master Roshi, is the father of Chi-Chi?

The Ox-King sends young Chi-Chi off with Goku to fetch his old teacher, and it is on that trip that the two children end up promising to marry.

What did Toriyama say he did after receiving piles of fan mail begging him not to kill Vegeta?

He killed him anyway: Toriyama said he went ahead with Vegeta's death at Frieza's hands despite the letters, then brought him back with the Dragon Balls; he admitted he disliked Vegeta at first.

What did King Piccolo do the moment his wish for youth was granted?

King Piccolo killed Shenron on the spot, so that nobody could ever use the Dragon Balls to undo his reign.

Which metal band's song about Frieza led Toriyama to revive him for a 2015 film?

Maximum the Hormone's 2008 song 'F' is about Frieza; Toriyama said it gave him the idea to bring the villain back for 2015's Resurrection 'F', where the song plays during the fight.

Who has voiced Frieza in Japanese since the character's 1990 anime debut?

Ryūsei Nakao has voiced Frieza from the start; Toriyama wrote the villain's lines in polite, formal speech because the courtesy made his cruelty more unsettling.

What did Toriyama say he regretted about the design of Cell?

The spots were tedious to draw across Cell's whole body, Toriyama said; nor had he planned for Cell to transform, until his editor complained about how the first form looked.

Which Japanese voice actor plays Cell and found the raspy first-form voice 'a pain'?

Norio Wakamoto found the raspy voice of Cell's monstrous first form a pain to keep up, toned it down for the second, and was comfortable by the final one; he returned in 2022 as Cell Max.

Gohan's name comes from the Japanese word for what?

Gohan means cooked rice, or simply a meal, in Japanese: Toriyama named much of the cast after food, and Gohan's own daughter Pan is named after the word for bread.

Who voiced Gohan in the initial 1996 Funimation/Saban English dub of Dragon Ball Z?

Saffron Henderson voiced Gohan when the series was first dubbed in Vancouver, having already played the boy Goku in the earlier Dragon Ball dub; when Funimation moved the work to its own Texas cast, Stephanie Nadolny inherited the part.

Which young swordsman from the future easily kills the rebuilt Frieza in Dragon Ball Z?

Trunks is the son of Vegeta and Bulma, and has come back from a future in which Goku has died of heart disease. He carries his longsword in a scabbard across his back.

Who confronts Goku at a Dragon Ball martial arts tournament over a childhood promise to marry her?

Chi-Chi got that promise through a misunderstanding when the two were children, and the pair do go on to marry. As a mother she steers her son Gohan toward a career as a scholar.

In Dragon Ball Z, which horned leader of Frieza's elite mercenaries switches bodies with Goku?

Ginyu wounds himself almost fatally before the swap, leaving Goku stuck in a dying body. A later attempt goes wrong and strands the captain in the body of a Namekian frog.

In Dragon Ball Z, which crime-fighting classmate blackmails Gohan into teaching her how to fly?

Videl works out the secret identity Gohan uses around the city and trades her silence for lessons. She later cuts her hair after he remarks that long hair can get in the way of a fight.

In Dragon Ball Z, which younger son of Goku can already turn Super Saiyan as a small child?

Goten had been training with his mother, which is how his big brother Gohan found him already so strong. When first introduced he has the same hairstyle as his father.

Which elite Saiyan in Dragon Ball Z uses Saibamen to test opponents and is later killed by Vegeta?

Nappa is killed for his incompetence as soon as Goku defeats him. Earlier in the same battle he survives a self-destructing attack and kills Piccolo.

In Dragon Ball Z, which young Namekian healer does Goku later ask to become Earth's guardian deity?

Dende accepts the post and revives Earth's inert Dragon Balls. On Namek he had interpreted the heroes' wishes, which have to be spoken in the Namekian language.

In Dragon Ball Z, which pet monkey must Goku catch on a tiny afterlife planet before he can train?

Bubbles belongs to the martial arts master who lives there, a teacher who also expects students to appeal to his strange sense of humor. In the anime they must strike a flying cricket with a mallet too.

Which judge of dead souls in Dragon Ball Z is said to be the only one to cross Snake Way before Goku?

King Yemma judges the souls of the dead, and warns Goku that anyone who falls off the path will never return. Goku starts out flying over it, then has to continue on foot when his energy runs out.

In Dragon Ball, which genie-like attendant of Earth's guardian easily beats Goku in a skirmish?

Mr. Popo then helps train Goku for three years before his battle with Piccolo. He later trains Krillin, Yamcha and other fighters ahead of the Saiyans' arrival.

In Dragon Ball Z, which small psychic fighter blows himself up on a Saiyan invader to save an ally?

Chiaotzu resembles a jiangshi, with pale skin and red cheeks, and his sacrifice achieves nothing. He is not physically strong, so he fights with psychokinesis and telepathy.

Which handsome henchman of Frieza in Dragon Ball Z turns into a reptilian beast to beat Vegeta?

Zarbon looks so refined that Bulma at first mistakes him for an ally. Vegeta later escapes, steals Frieza's Dragon Balls and kills him in their rematch.

In Dragon Ball Z, which father of Frieza comes to Earth with his rebuilt son to seek revenge?

King Cold brings a whole force with him, yet he and his son are easily killed by a single time traveler from the future. Goku had not even arrived back on Earth.

Which dragon in Dragon Ball Z grants three wishes but only when addressed in the Namekian language?

Porunga means "God of Dreams" in Namekian. He can revive only one person at a time, but unlike Earth's dragon he can bring that person back more than once.

Which demon king in Dragon Ball Z turns Piccolo and Krillin to stone by spitting at them?

Dabura takes his name from the word "abracadabra". When the monster his master is reviving awakens, it turns him into a large cookie and eats him, which restores his petrified victims to normal.

In Dragon Ball Z, which deity comes to Earth under the alias Shin to recruit Goku and his friends?

The Supreme Kai has purple skin and a white mohawk. He became the de facto ruler of the entire universe only through the demise of his peers.

Which Dragon Ball Z film villain wishes for immortality and later returns in an anime-only story arc?

Garlic Jr. is twice trapped in the Dead Zone, an alternate dimension that he can open freely. He is one of the few original characters from the films to appear in the TV series.

At the end of Dragon Ball Z, which ten-year-old boy does Goku choose to train as his successor?

Uub is the reincarnation of the villain Buu, reborn as a good person because Goku wished for it. Goku has to taunt the apprehensive boy to bait him into fighting.

In Dragon Ball Z, which fighter becomes Goku's friendly rival at the Other World Tournament?

Pikkon was purposely designed to resemble Piccolo in appearance, role and personality. Memos told the anime's staff to use Piccolo as the reference for his facial expressions.

In Dragon Ball Z, who created Namek's Dragon Balls and is the progenitor of every remaining Namekian?

Guru kept one Dragon Ball himself and gave each of the other six to a different elder. He can also tap into a visitor's vast hidden reserves of power.

Which Dragon Ball woman flips between polite and trigger-happy personalities whenever she sneezes?

Launch has blue hair when she is polite and turns blonde when she is dangerous. Because her bad side is a known criminal, she lies low as a maid in the house of Goku's teacher.

In Dragon Ball, which shapeshifting pig can hold a transformation for only five minutes at a time?

Oolong was expelled from shapeshifting school before he finished, which is why he needs a one-minute break after every change. He goes on to make the first wish shown in the series.

Which small, impish Dragon Ball villain seeks the Dragon Balls with his minions Shu and Mai?

Emperor Pilaf does gather the full set, only for someone else's wish to be granted just before he can say his own. His gang later releases another villain from his confinement.

Which Dragon Ball fighter wins the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament after destroying the stage?

Tien entered that tournament out to defeat Goku and his fellow students. Toriyama named the strong, cool fighter after tenshindon, a crabmeat omelet over rice, just to be silly.

In Dragon Ball, which immortal cat lives atop a tower and grows the Senzu beans that heal any injury?

Korin was modeled after the pet cat Toriyama had at the time. He is at least 800 years old when introduced, and Goku is the first human he ever deems worthy of meeting Earth's guardian.

In Dragon Ball, which assassin kills General Blue using only his tongue?

Mercenary Tao wears a pink gi with the kanji for "kill" on the front and "KILL YOU!" on the back. He later has himself rebuilt as a cyborg with the money from his assassination jobs.

Which Dragon Ball witch rides a floating crystal ball and can bring back the dead for a single day?

Fortuneteller Baba charges a very high price for her services unless the customer can beat her team of fighters. The last fighter she fields against Goku is his own late adoptive grandfather.

In Dragon Ball, which wealthy owner of a castle on Frypan Mountain becomes Goku's father-in-law?

The Ox-King has a gentle, laid-back personality despite his imposing name and stature. He learned martial arts from the same master as Goku's adoptive grandfather.

Which girl built by a Penguin Village scientist easily defeats General Blue in a Dragon Ball crossover?

Arale is the little android heroine of Toriyama's previous manga, created by Senbei Norimaki. In Dragon Ball Super she comes back and defeats Vegeta as well.

Which kindhearted mechanical man in Dragon Ball defects from the Red Ribbon Army and settles in Jingle Village?

Android 8 dislikes fighting even though he was deployed against Goku as a weapon, and he takes the nickname Eighter at Goku's suggestion. He is the first of that army's artificial humans seen in the series.

Which twin brother of Beerus challenges Universe 7 to a tournament in Dragon Ball Super?

Champa and Beerus have a long-running rivalry that plays out in food contests and proxy wars. Their two universes are linked as twins as well.

Which Universe 6 fighter in Dragon Ball Super manipulates time with his signature Time-Skip ability?

Hit is over a thousand years old and is known for eliminating a target with a single strike. He ends his first tournament between universes by eliminating himself in the final match.

In Dragon Ball Super, which Pride Trooper is the most powerful mortal in Universe 11?

Jiren the Gray is so proud of his strength that he refuses his comrades' help even under severe pressure. He trusts nobody, believing that relying on others will ultimately backfire.

In Dragon Ball Super, which childlike deity above all other gods can erase entire universes at will?

Zeno is treated with the utmost reverence and fear by gods and mortals alike. Goku is the exception: he befriends the Omni-King almost at once and calls him "Zenny" in the English dub.

Which granddaughter of Goku travels across the universe with him in Dragon Ball GT?

Pan is Gohan's daughter, and the trip is urgent: the Earth will explode unless the Black Star Dragon Balls are retrieved within a year. In the finale she is an elderly woman cheering on Goku's great-great-grandson.

In Dragon Ball Super, which humble Saiyan from Planet Sadala comes to look up to Vegeta as a mentor?

Cabba fights for the opposing team, yet he and Vegeta bond after the tournament. He speaks respectfully to everyone and sees himself as a protector of the weak.

In Dragon Ball GT, which Tuffle parasite takes over Vegeta's body to get revenge on the Saiyans?

Baby wants to destroy the Saiyan race for exterminating the Tuffles many years earlier. Goku finally destroys him by propelling him into the sun with a tenfold Kamehameha.

In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, which superhero-obsessed mad scientist creates Gamma 1 and Gamma 2?

Dr. Hedo had just spent three months in prison for stealing corpses. He takes the job only once he is convinced that Bulma's company is an evil organization.

In Dragon Ball Super, which weak fighter is on Universe 7's tournament team only to motivate Goku?

Monaka is a small, red humanoid alien whom Beerus puts on the team. He still wins his bout, because his opponent in the final match throws the fight by eliminating himself.

In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which Frieza Force soldier steals the remote that keeps Broly submissive?

Cheelai breaks the remote as well, having helped rescue Broly and his father during a recruitment mission. After the battle she uses a Dragon Ball wish to send Broly safely back to his planet.